Ok. So I've been thinking for like two weeks now about dying my hair. Again.
My hair is dark blonde, so I always do gold-like highlights. But I was wondering if maybe a little bit of red, or caramel red might look good?
I was also looking for a haircut. I now have it past shoulder length, and, I'm tired and bored of it. I was thinking of doing something maybe like Kate Moss' blonde bob? Or maybe something like Keira Knightley back when she had it about chin length.
If you have any ideas, please speak up.
WG
Monday, October 26, 2009
"Burqa"
Sorry for the lack of posts recently. My life has been insane.
I have a costume party this weekend! I am wearing a pirate costume that looks amazing, and the funny part is it was completely improvised out of my closet. This party promises to be good.
The other day I was doing a debate on France and religion, secularisim, Sarkozy and his 'positive secularism'. When I first heard the controversial topic of the banning of the burqas, I couldn't help but disagree, I thought that they deserved freedom to wear what they wanted.,
But after doing appropiate research, I changed my mind. I totally support Sarkozy. The burqa is a sign of women subordination under man within the Muslim religion. I can't accept that. After reading One Thousand Splendid Suns, I saw what Muslim women go through. I saw their sufferings and can't say that I support that. I can't. Women have to be free. We are in the 21st century, not in 10th, and we still treat women like slaves?
Then there is the matter of security. With weekly news about kidnappings and murders I, as a school owner, couldn't allow completely covered people claiming childs. How do I know it's truly their parents and not some strange murderer?. I studied a case of a Muslim teen who was abused and beaten by her father, leaving her face disfigured, but nobody ever found out because of the burqa. And the girl lived with that. We can't accept that.
The resolution we presented was for muslim women to wear a scarf that covered their heads and complete body except for their faces; and to start wearing it after graduating from high school, when they are mature enough to decide wether or not they want to be part of such a religion.
That is not racism. That is the first step towards letting women live under the freelance of hope, opportunities and freedom all of us enjoy. This is the first step towards showing muslim faith the world is ruled by human rights and universal rights, instead of sharia law.
We must act towards that.
WG
I have a costume party this weekend! I am wearing a pirate costume that looks amazing, and the funny part is it was completely improvised out of my closet. This party promises to be good.
The other day I was doing a debate on France and religion, secularisim, Sarkozy and his 'positive secularism'. When I first heard the controversial topic of the banning of the burqas, I couldn't help but disagree, I thought that they deserved freedom to wear what they wanted.,
But after doing appropiate research, I changed my mind. I totally support Sarkozy. The burqa is a sign of women subordination under man within the Muslim religion. I can't accept that. After reading One Thousand Splendid Suns, I saw what Muslim women go through. I saw their sufferings and can't say that I support that. I can't. Women have to be free. We are in the 21st century, not in 10th, and we still treat women like slaves?
Then there is the matter of security. With weekly news about kidnappings and murders I, as a school owner, couldn't allow completely covered people claiming childs. How do I know it's truly their parents and not some strange murderer?. I studied a case of a Muslim teen who was abused and beaten by her father, leaving her face disfigured, but nobody ever found out because of the burqa. And the girl lived with that. We can't accept that.
The resolution we presented was for muslim women to wear a scarf that covered their heads and complete body except for their faces; and to start wearing it after graduating from high school, when they are mature enough to decide wether or not they want to be part of such a religion.
That is not racism. That is the first step towards letting women live under the freelance of hope, opportunities and freedom all of us enjoy. This is the first step towards showing muslim faith the world is ruled by human rights and universal rights, instead of sharia law.
We must act towards that.
WG
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"Happiness"
I read this article today on the living section of, I promise, the best online newspaper, The Huffington Post.
It is a quite intersting piece. If you read the antecendent, you might like it even more, nevertheless, as a stand alone piece, it's good. A bit cruel. But realist.
Here I adhere the http direction for you to read it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/men-arent-all-that-happy_b_325414.html.
Here are a few points I wanted to comment about.
"The quality of your life experience may have less to do with what happens to you and more to do with how you choose to respond". This is part of the article. And is what I've always saying. Things might come with a reason, but you give them the purpose,outcome and mission. By choosing. By reacting. By perspective. As Russel points, we can't live our lives with the infamous "If only", like I often do; an example being my entry about how IF I had the money things would be easier. It's true. But not real. And why getting all worked up over fiction? better to focus on real things that we can actually change here and now. Also, the article talks about how little "If only" succesful people and situations exist. When we win, of course we never blame it neither on the circumstance nor on someone else. But when it comes to failures or incapacities, which might not be our fault or decision, we disguise it. Blaming. But let's not blame, but look for solutions.
"In general, people are unhappy because they have compromised in some way. They either compromised in the relationship they got involved in, the job their working etc. When you settle for less than you desire or deserve, you aren't quite as happy. We are the some total of the choices we have made in life. What we are now is the result of how much we've compromised."
This is an intersting analisis on the situation by a site commentarist. Interpreting it, I think this might have something to do with being mediocre. Or al least the part of "when you settle for less than you desire or deserve". And the last part reminds me of "bet big, win big". More direct way of saying it, though.
"And on and on. Women are EXPECTED to have emotions and are encouraged to express them. Men are told in many ways, both overt and subvert, to NOT express them, and when they do, the ones they express are somehow inappropriate. I gave up a long time ago. This comment is absolutely serious, but it's so ingrained in our culture that most people never notice it."
This is also a commetary. I have to admit, I didn't expect this. I guess subconsiously I always knew this, but decided not to aknowledge it. Because I'm a huge feminist. And this was the moment I recognized men's troubles and charges as well. We women might be harshly judged by society in almost everything, but society also puts really harsh laws on men. At least women are recognized to have the right to say how we feel, and it's okay, since we are 'hormonal' 'susceptible' 'soft' 'intense' 'overwhelmingly emotional' 'jumping to conclusions easily', etc. Men, are supposed to be 'tough' 'practical' 'permanent poker faces' 'masculine' 'full of testosterone and empty of feelings' 'not sensitive' 'in charge', etc. And it actually got me wondering what is worse: To have a huge charge, but to be able to show it, and therefore your overcoming publicly acknowkedged; or to have a huge charge, but this one being secret, so that even if you manage to gain success, it is not so acknowledged since your purpose and desires are unknown to everyone but yourself? What is more frustrating?
I was really really really becoming less of a feminist when I read that and started thinking. Until another comment was published:
"I'm happy as long as I'm getting laid
you see that is the key to happiness as a man"
To whoever wrote that, I'd like you to know you totally screw it.
I think it is so inmature to say that. Sex is totally overrated by men (and, ok, some women). Not that I don't like it, but c'mon, are you really putting the weight of your happiness and fullfillment on a booty call or spontaneous hookup with someone either drunk or so frustrated that can't find someone that actually cares about them to have sex with? C'mon. That must definately be a lame, cliche, inmature excuse and/or cover. No human being can actually believe that is happiness. Not real happiness at least. Joy? Perhaps. But I remind you, the difference between joy and happiness is that joy is temporal and defined by moments and happiness is more permanent and defined by our personal satisfaction with ourselves.
Want to be joyful? Me too. We all want that. But first I want to be happy.
Like I once read, "Happiness is not only what you recorded, but also how you choose to remember".
"You could not chance the facts; only change the lens through which you looked at them"
WG
It is a quite intersting piece. If you read the antecendent, you might like it even more, nevertheless, as a stand alone piece, it's good. A bit cruel. But realist.
Here I adhere the http direction for you to read it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/men-arent-all-that-happy_b_325414.html.
Here are a few points I wanted to comment about.
"The quality of your life experience may have less to do with what happens to you and more to do with how you choose to respond". This is part of the article. And is what I've always saying. Things might come with a reason, but you give them the purpose,outcome and mission. By choosing. By reacting. By perspective. As Russel points, we can't live our lives with the infamous "If only", like I often do; an example being my entry about how IF I had the money things would be easier. It's true. But not real. And why getting all worked up over fiction? better to focus on real things that we can actually change here and now. Also, the article talks about how little "If only" succesful people and situations exist. When we win, of course we never blame it neither on the circumstance nor on someone else. But when it comes to failures or incapacities, which might not be our fault or decision, we disguise it. Blaming. But let's not blame, but look for solutions.
"In general, people are unhappy because they have compromised in some way. They either compromised in the relationship they got involved in, the job their working etc. When you settle for less than you desire or deserve, you aren't quite as happy. We are the some total of the choices we have made in life. What we are now is the result of how much we've compromised."
This is an intersting analisis on the situation by a site commentarist. Interpreting it, I think this might have something to do with being mediocre. Or al least the part of "when you settle for less than you desire or deserve". And the last part reminds me of "bet big, win big". More direct way of saying it, though.
"And on and on. Women are EXPECTED to have emotions and are encouraged to express them. Men are told in many ways, both overt and subvert, to NOT express them, and when they do, the ones they express are somehow inappropriate. I gave up a long time ago. This comment is absolutely serious, but it's so ingrained in our culture that most people never notice it."
This is also a commetary. I have to admit, I didn't expect this. I guess subconsiously I always knew this, but decided not to aknowledge it. Because I'm a huge feminist. And this was the moment I recognized men's troubles and charges as well. We women might be harshly judged by society in almost everything, but society also puts really harsh laws on men. At least women are recognized to have the right to say how we feel, and it's okay, since we are 'hormonal' 'susceptible' 'soft' 'intense' 'overwhelmingly emotional' 'jumping to conclusions easily', etc. Men, are supposed to be 'tough' 'practical' 'permanent poker faces' 'masculine' 'full of testosterone and empty of feelings' 'not sensitive' 'in charge', etc. And it actually got me wondering what is worse: To have a huge charge, but to be able to show it, and therefore your overcoming publicly acknowkedged; or to have a huge charge, but this one being secret, so that even if you manage to gain success, it is not so acknowledged since your purpose and desires are unknown to everyone but yourself? What is more frustrating?
I was really really really becoming less of a feminist when I read that and started thinking. Until another comment was published:
"I'm happy as long as I'm getting laid
you see that is the key to happiness as a man"
To whoever wrote that, I'd like you to know you totally screw it.
I think it is so inmature to say that. Sex is totally overrated by men (and, ok, some women). Not that I don't like it, but c'mon, are you really putting the weight of your happiness and fullfillment on a booty call or spontaneous hookup with someone either drunk or so frustrated that can't find someone that actually cares about them to have sex with? C'mon. That must definately be a lame, cliche, inmature excuse and/or cover. No human being can actually believe that is happiness. Not real happiness at least. Joy? Perhaps. But I remind you, the difference between joy and happiness is that joy is temporal and defined by moments and happiness is more permanent and defined by our personal satisfaction with ourselves.
Want to be joyful? Me too. We all want that. But first I want to be happy.
Like I once read, "Happiness is not only what you recorded, but also how you choose to remember".
"You could not chance the facts; only change the lens through which you looked at them"
WG
Sunday, October 18, 2009
"To Do List"
I was thinking today about all of the things I wanted to do before dying. Here are some of them:
1. Free Falling (you go really high in the sky in a helicopter and then jump, go half way free fall, half way parachuting). This is a really exciting one, since I'm planning on doing it when I graduate from high school with my mom as a sign of being free, happy and everywhere.
2. Getting a Tattoo. Ok. So my parents don't know this yet. But I don't think they'll oppose, they have never said no, they have always taught me to have my own criteria and make my own life choices. There's a catch to this one, though, I have noo idea what the tattoo will be. I have a few options, but nothing for sure. If you guys know of any word that might be great for tattooing, please say. Maybe something french, latin or italian. Also planning on getting this done by graduation.
3. Man Haircut. I've always wanted to do this. I have a feeling this might be soon. I'm going shorter than chin length next week. We'll see when I'm ready for this.
4. Dedicating at least two entire summers to go help in Africa.
5. Living one entire summer at the shore of some exotic beach, hopefully in Greece, living out of fishing, bathing, swimming, partying and doing yoga.
6. Going to Milan Fashion Week.
7. Knowing Moscow, Helsinki, South Africa, Ireland, Naples, St. Tropez, India, Morrocco.
8. Writing a book.
9. Designing and Constructing my own house.
10. Participating actively on politics.
11. Having an inmense walking closet with the most amazing collection of shoes and clothes ever known to man.
12. Running the New York marathon.
13. Swimming the Canal that links France and England (don't remember the name right now).
14. Spending all of my money while I'm still alive. Not leaving anything to anybody or any place. Enjoy everything I've earned.
15. Becoming a yoga master.
The list goes on, but those are the most important. The vital ones.
What do you guys want to do before dying?
I better get started, right?
WG
1. Free Falling (you go really high in the sky in a helicopter and then jump, go half way free fall, half way parachuting). This is a really exciting one, since I'm planning on doing it when I graduate from high school with my mom as a sign of being free, happy and everywhere.
2. Getting a Tattoo. Ok. So my parents don't know this yet. But I don't think they'll oppose, they have never said no, they have always taught me to have my own criteria and make my own life choices. There's a catch to this one, though, I have noo idea what the tattoo will be. I have a few options, but nothing for sure. If you guys know of any word that might be great for tattooing, please say. Maybe something french, latin or italian. Also planning on getting this done by graduation.
3. Man Haircut. I've always wanted to do this. I have a feeling this might be soon. I'm going shorter than chin length next week. We'll see when I'm ready for this.
4. Dedicating at least two entire summers to go help in Africa.
5. Living one entire summer at the shore of some exotic beach, hopefully in Greece, living out of fishing, bathing, swimming, partying and doing yoga.
6. Going to Milan Fashion Week.
7. Knowing Moscow, Helsinki, South Africa, Ireland, Naples, St. Tropez, India, Morrocco.
8. Writing a book.
9. Designing and Constructing my own house.
10. Participating actively on politics.
11. Having an inmense walking closet with the most amazing collection of shoes and clothes ever known to man.
12. Running the New York marathon.
13. Swimming the Canal that links France and England (don't remember the name right now).
14. Spending all of my money while I'm still alive. Not leaving anything to anybody or any place. Enjoy everything I've earned.
15. Becoming a yoga master.
The list goes on, but those are the most important. The vital ones.
What do you guys want to do before dying?
I better get started, right?
WG
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I'm grieving. Grieving for the things I so much wish I could have. Those things that would make my dreams real. Those things that would make them more reachable and easy to achieve.
It's been years since I cried my heart out the way I did today.
And it's weird to know that I have never felt as sad, frustrated, disencouraged, down, as I do right now, not even with my mom's sickness or my grandma's death. Never have I felt this way.
It's as if I have just discovered Santa doesn't really exist. As if I finally opened my eyes and saw that I couldn't get everything I wanted, not even if I deserved it or worked harder than anyone else to have it. At least not when it's not entirely up to me.
This is the first time (and I have a feeling it won't be the last one) that money has really gotten in the way. In the past, I always got away with something. If I couldn't travel, I would work and have a blast. If I couldn't fulfill my dream of knowing the world in five stars hotels, then I did it some other way. But this time, is not as simple.
The things money could give. The pressure it would let off my shoulders, just to know, that maybe, I don't need to work so hard. That it's okay to have a break. Because, you know, you have benefits. It would be so great to make that decision, pay for it, and then just doing the minimal, already having planned and achieved in advance your future goals. With just one paycheck. With lots of ceros.
But no. That's not the way it's supposed to happen to me. I'm the girl with no money. The girl that can't write that paycheck without sacrificing waaay to much. The girl that has to get used to doing ten times what others do in order to get the same. The girl, that ok, maybe she will have a more rewarding expirience and merit and blah blah blah (also very important), but, what if she is equally or even more good than the ones that get it, but she doesn't, because she can't afford the benefits? She will have no merit, since success is limited and chances are she wouldn't get it by herself. Rewarding expirience? I don't think so.
If just she had the money. The money to assure herself success.
Maybe that is just life. And maybe I just have to learn to live with it. I know. But it's hard. Everyday the fight gets harder, sometimes disencouraging me to keep my eyes and mind in the price, but to instead just give up. So many times I have being tempted to let go of my dreams. I never had. But now, I don't know if maybe it is best to let go and find some other dream. To change it. To surrender. To just accept the idea that what I want is practically impossible. Perhaps that's what I should do. Perhaps that is what is right.
There is a quote that I used to love until know that it might be applicable to give up. It says: "To let go is to overcome". In the past, I only thought of it as in relationships and that sort of things so I thought it was right. But now, I'm not so sure. To let go is to overcome? As if I give up-surrender-let go of my all-time-childhood-dream I OVERCOME??? overcome what, exactly? Failure?
Possible. But I don't think I can accept that. Today's sob was proof of it. I rather torture myself with my dreams even though I know they probably won't happen.
I will put myself the frim purpose of never letting myself loose hope as I am doing now. Of learning to live in frustation.
I will try to keep going with what I have, and let the chips fall as they may. After all, I'm not ready to steal a bank in order to reach my dreams fast and easy. Not that I shouldn't consider that option.
WG
It's been years since I cried my heart out the way I did today.
And it's weird to know that I have never felt as sad, frustrated, disencouraged, down, as I do right now, not even with my mom's sickness or my grandma's death. Never have I felt this way.
It's as if I have just discovered Santa doesn't really exist. As if I finally opened my eyes and saw that I couldn't get everything I wanted, not even if I deserved it or worked harder than anyone else to have it. At least not when it's not entirely up to me.
This is the first time (and I have a feeling it won't be the last one) that money has really gotten in the way. In the past, I always got away with something. If I couldn't travel, I would work and have a blast. If I couldn't fulfill my dream of knowing the world in five stars hotels, then I did it some other way. But this time, is not as simple.
The things money could give. The pressure it would let off my shoulders, just to know, that maybe, I don't need to work so hard. That it's okay to have a break. Because, you know, you have benefits. It would be so great to make that decision, pay for it, and then just doing the minimal, already having planned and achieved in advance your future goals. With just one paycheck. With lots of ceros.
But no. That's not the way it's supposed to happen to me. I'm the girl with no money. The girl that can't write that paycheck without sacrificing waaay to much. The girl that has to get used to doing ten times what others do in order to get the same. The girl, that ok, maybe she will have a more rewarding expirience and merit and blah blah blah (also very important), but, what if she is equally or even more good than the ones that get it, but she doesn't, because she can't afford the benefits? She will have no merit, since success is limited and chances are she wouldn't get it by herself. Rewarding expirience? I don't think so.
If just she had the money. The money to assure herself success.
Maybe that is just life. And maybe I just have to learn to live with it. I know. But it's hard. Everyday the fight gets harder, sometimes disencouraging me to keep my eyes and mind in the price, but to instead just give up. So many times I have being tempted to let go of my dreams. I never had. But now, I don't know if maybe it is best to let go and find some other dream. To change it. To surrender. To just accept the idea that what I want is practically impossible. Perhaps that's what I should do. Perhaps that is what is right.
There is a quote that I used to love until know that it might be applicable to give up. It says: "To let go is to overcome". In the past, I only thought of it as in relationships and that sort of things so I thought it was right. But now, I'm not so sure. To let go is to overcome? As if I give up-surrender-let go of my all-time-childhood-dream I OVERCOME??? overcome what, exactly? Failure?
Possible. But I don't think I can accept that. Today's sob was proof of it. I rather torture myself with my dreams even though I know they probably won't happen.
I will put myself the frim purpose of never letting myself loose hope as I am doing now. Of learning to live in frustation.
I will try to keep going with what I have, and let the chips fall as they may. After all, I'm not ready to steal a bank in order to reach my dreams fast and easy. Not that I shouldn't consider that option.
WG
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
"Thoughts"
Does fear of failure get in the way of success?
"To be ambitious for wealth, and yet always expecting to be poor; to be always doubting your ability to get what you long for, is like trying to reach east by tragveling west. No matter how hard you work for success, if your thought is saturated with the fear of failure, it will kill your efforts, neutralize your endeavors, and make success impossible" Charles Baudouin.
"The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born" Warren G Bennis.
"To be ambitious for wealth, and yet always expecting to be poor; to be always doubting your ability to get what you long for, is like trying to reach east by tragveling west. No matter how hard you work for success, if your thought is saturated with the fear of failure, it will kill your efforts, neutralize your endeavors, and make success impossible" Charles Baudouin.
"The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born" Warren G Bennis.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
"Goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend"
It's easy talking about success.
But it is more didactic when you talk about success after having failed.
Remember what I said to you about the exam for the delegation? I did it.
Passed it. Went to the interview. Got the job.
My secret?
Being myself.
Last year, I went to the interview trying to be what I thought they wanted for the position. I pretended. I acted. I tried as hard as I could to show them that I was what they needed.
This year, I was myself. I went in there to sell myself. To show them, not who they wanted, but who I am. I made them understand that what you see is what you get. And they liked me more than last's year 'perfect' girl.
What I want to tell you is, well, someone has what you want. And you have what someone else wants. Someone is out there looking for you. You are what others need. Not a perfect person. You. With all your flaws and mostly, your virtues.
I have learned that I shall never pretend to be something I'm not in order to get a job, a friend.. Never ever again... I will be myself, and surely, they will like me. I'll have something they need.
Don't be afraid. If they don't choose you, it's not because you're bad, but because there is something better that needs you.
Be loyal to yourself. Be happy. Be joyful. Be free to say what you mean. Everywhere. Anytime. No restrictions when it comes to saying your opinion. Be bold. Live. Love. LAUGH.
I'm going to the beach tommorrow, so I'll be completlely out of internet for a few days.
Let you know when I'm back.
I'll miss writing to whoever is reading.
WG
But it is more didactic when you talk about success after having failed.
Remember what I said to you about the exam for the delegation? I did it.
Passed it. Went to the interview. Got the job.
My secret?
Being myself.
Last year, I went to the interview trying to be what I thought they wanted for the position. I pretended. I acted. I tried as hard as I could to show them that I was what they needed.
This year, I was myself. I went in there to sell myself. To show them, not who they wanted, but who I am. I made them understand that what you see is what you get. And they liked me more than last's year 'perfect' girl.
What I want to tell you is, well, someone has what you want. And you have what someone else wants. Someone is out there looking for you. You are what others need. Not a perfect person. You. With all your flaws and mostly, your virtues.
I have learned that I shall never pretend to be something I'm not in order to get a job, a friend.. Never ever again... I will be myself, and surely, they will like me. I'll have something they need.
Don't be afraid. If they don't choose you, it's not because you're bad, but because there is something better that needs you.
Be loyal to yourself. Be happy. Be joyful. Be free to say what you mean. Everywhere. Anytime. No restrictions when it comes to saying your opinion. Be bold. Live. Love. LAUGH.
I'm going to the beach tommorrow, so I'll be completlely out of internet for a few days.
Let you know when I'm back.
I'll miss writing to whoever is reading.
WG
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